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DARIUS SKIDMORE, OF SENECA FALLS, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 73,660, dated January 21, 1868.

IMPROVEld BILLIARD-TABLE CLOTH.

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TO -ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, DARIUS SKIDMORE, of Seneca. Falls, in the county of Seneca, and State of New York, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Billiard-Table Cloths; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description thereof.

It has long been desired to produce a substitute for the woollen cloths, known as Simonis cloths, heretofore and now generally employed for bIlliard tables, which would be cheaper, more durable, impcrviousto dust and water, and on which the balls would not properly; and in view of this, many attempts have been made to obtain a fabric, or preparation of a fabric, which could be successfully substituted but, so far as I amfinformod, all such attempts have failed to produce a cloth on which the balls could act properly, as on the Simonis'cloths.

In the numerous experiments which I have madc on this subject, I found that what are known as oil-cloths, such as are used for covering ordinary tables, would be cheaper, more durable, than the Simonis cloth, and that they would be impervious to dust, and that, being water-proof, they could be readily washed with a sponge; but the balls could not be made to act on the surface, that is, the proper shots required by the game could not be made on such a surface.

In the course of my experiments, I finally discovered that it was in consequence of the glazed surface that oil-cloth would not answer, and that by coating the cloth with what are known as dead colors, instead of the colors employed in making oil-cloths, and which produce glazed surfaces, all the shots required by the game could be properly executed on a cloth so prepared.

In view of the said discovery, my said invention relates to a new manufacture to be used for covering billiard and other like tables, as a substitute for Simonis cloths, which new manufacture consists of a cloth woven of cotton,linen, or equivalent fibre, coated on the surface, in the manner of making oil-cloths, but with what are known as dead colors. v

In the preparation of the said new fabric, I take any well and closely-woven cotton or linen cloth, of the required width, and coat the surface in the some manner as oil-cloths are now usually coated, but instead of using the colors usually employed for that purpose, I use what are known as dead colors, instead of such as are used for making what is known as oil-cloth, and which produce glossy or glazed surfaces. In coating the surface, care should be taken, by calcndcring or otherwise, to produce a smooth and even surface, and to leave the fabric, when completed, of a uniform thickness. In nllothcr respects, the fabric is to be prepared and treated as in the well-known art of making oil-cloths, such as are used for covering tables.

The fabric so prepared, when applied to the bed of a billiard-table, presents less'res istanee to the balls, as compared with the Simonis cloth, so that, with the 'same force applied, they will travel farther, and admit of making longer follow-shots. The ball will take what is termed English" or twist, quite as well, but the ball cannot be forced straight back quite as well, although the difference is so slight that it would not be noticed, except by a very expert player. The original cost is much less. Being impervious to water,'it can be readily washed without injury, and being impervious, dust will not accumulate in it nor on the bed of the table below it; and although at first it will be inferior in appearance, after having been used a short time it will have a better appearance; and although I have above stated that, for making this improved billiard-table cloth, I take woven cotton or linen cloth, I do not wish to be understood as limiting my claim of invention to the use of such cloths, as cloth woven from other and equivalent material may be used, provided it is prepared in the manner described.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to securcby Letters Patent, isy A new manufacture of billiard-table cloth, consisting of cotton, linen, or other cloth, coatedou the surface in the manner of preparing oil-cloth, but with dead colors, substantially as and for the purpose described.

' DARIUS SKIDMORE.

Witnesses:

WM. H. Brsuor, A. DE LACY. 

